1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for realizing smooth communication of information between an information apparatus such as a navigation system and users.
2. Related Art
Many recent on-vehicle navigation systems are provided with a sophisticated user interface. A user interface is essentially necessary for smooth information output from a system to a user and information input from a user to a system. The information output includes output of speech such as synthesized speech in addition to display by use of a display. The information input includes input of speech based on a speech recognition technique in addition to a switch operation.
Navigation systems provided with a user interface that is switchable between output formats of information as desired by a user have been proposed and realized. For example, the navigation system disclosed in JP-A-8-193837 is switchable between languages (Japanese language, English language, and French language) and dialects (Osaka dialect, Nagoya dialect, and Tohoku dialect). Thereby, a Japanese language user can use information output by means of Japanese language, and Osaka local people can use information output by means of Osaka dialect. Thus, suitable information output corresponding to a user has been realized.
However, in the case of the conventional navigation system, it is required for a user to display a menu screen and to select a desired menu item on display on the menu screen when the information output type is to be switched. As a result, the output format cannot be switched unless the user has previously learned how to switch the information output format. Furthermore, even if the English menu is displayed in response to a selection of the English language, the user can switch from the English menu to the Japanese menu or German menu as desired by the user only if the user can understand the English menu.
Alternatively, the output mode can be switched by the use of a speech command. This case requires that the user remember in advance a fixed speech command for switching. In a system in which the output mode is switched to "Osaka dialect" by means of the speech command "set switching to Osaka language", the output mode cannot be switched with a speech input that is not exactly the same speech as "Osaka language" such as "I want to switch to Osaka language" or "set to Osaka language".